William h



(N0 Model.

W. H. APPLETON.-

, IGE MAKING AND REFRIGERATING MACHINE.

No. 458,440. Batented Aug. 25, 1891.

WITNESSES v 62 INVENTOR,

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I-lJAPPLETON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

iCE-MAKING AND REFRIGERATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,440, dated August25, 1891. Application filed January 29, 1891. Serial No. 379,547. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. APPLETON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, county of New York, and State'of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Making andRefrigerating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of icemaking and refrigeratingmachines in which a frigorific or freezing mixture composed of the usualsalts-such, for instance, as nitrate of ammonia or nitrate of ammoniaand carbonate of soda combined with waterare employed, and has for itsobject to produce a machine of this class which shall be simple, cheap,and compact in construction, shall obviate as far as possible thefreezing of the pipes which conduct the water through the machine, andwhich shall be more effective and reliable than those heretofore in use.

To these ends my invention consists, first, in the combination, with thevessels for holding the frigorific or freezing mixture, of a tank orcooler for holding drinking-water, arranged within the inner endthereof, and a system of pipes for conducting the water from the tank orcoolerand delivering it to one or the other or both 'of said vessels, asmay be desired, and, second, in various other combinations andarrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which my invention is shownapplied in connection with an ordinary domestic refrigerator, Figure lis a sectional elevation of the same, some of the parts being brokenaway to more clearly illustrate parts beyond; Fig. 2, a sectional planthereof, taken on the line 00 w of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4, detailsshowing the perforations in the pipes which con duct the water from thetank or cooler 'to the outer and inner vessels containing the frigorificor freezing mixture, respectively; and Fig. 5 a section of the walls ofthe inner vessel, taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 2.

In all the figures like letters are employed to designate correspondingparts.

A indicates a refrigerator, which is or may be of any ordinary orpreferred construction andis provided with a suitably-11ingedcover A anddead-air spaces a a, or otherwise, as may be desired.

B B indicate the vessels for containing the freezing-mixture, the samebeing constructed of such material as will resist the corroding" actionof the mixture thereon. The vessel B, which for the purposes of thisspecification I shall call the outer vessel, is preferably made inrectangular form, with its sides inclining outward from bottom to top,as shown,

and is of a size at its upper edge to substantially fit the interior ofthe refrigerator, in the upper portion of which it is supported by meansof an outwardly-projecting flange b, resting upon cleats a, secured tothe inner side thereof. The vessel B, which for convenience ofdescription will be called herein the inner vessel, is also preferablymade in rectangular form and is arranged within the outer vessel B, thesame being constructed either as an independent device or formed bysecuring its walls to the bottom of the latter. This last-mentionedconstruction is the one I prefer in practice, however, and in or der toprevent the conduction of the heat outer vessel B, with a strip 12 ofheat-nonconducting inaterialsuch, for instance, as card or other similarboardarranged between the two portions thereof; but however constructedthe walls of this vessel should be somewhat lower than the walls of theouter vessel, to permit of the freezing-mixture contained in the lattervessel, when such freezingmixture rises to a certain point, flowing overthese walls and into the former vessel, which is provided with anordinary overflow-pipe b to prevent the mixture from rising thereinbeyond a certain limit.

\Vithin the inner vessel 13', I arrange a tank or cooler O, which, likethe vessel B, may either be made asa separate structure or from a coilof pipe, or be constructed with its walls secured to the bottom of thevessel B. This tank or cooler is preferably made of sheet metal orothersi milar m aterial,with a closed top 5 to render it thoroughlywater-tight, and'is provided with a suitable induction-pipe c forconnection with the usual main or other water-supply and with adischarge-pipe extending out through the Walls of the inner and outervesro sels and through the wall of the refrigerator, where it issupplied with a valve or faucet 0 by means of which the flow of thewater. through it may be controlled. Connected with this dischargepipe 0and extending I around within the inner and outer vessels B B are thepipes d cl, respectively, for conducting the water from the pipe 0 anddischarging it into their appropriate vessels.

I These pipes are each provided with. a suitable valve (1 d forcontrolling the flow of the water through them, and instead of havingtheir ends open, so as to permit of the water passing freelytherethrough, such ends are closed and the under sides of said pipes are2 5 provided with small perforations e e, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, forthe purpose of causing the agitation of the salts in bottom of thevessels by the action of the water as it flows through them and ofpermitting of the mix- 0 ture contained in the vessels entering theirrespective pipes when the valves (1 d are closed to prevent freezing. Asthus constructed, water introduced through the induction-pipe 0 willpass into the tank or cooler O, thence 5 into the discharge-pipe c, and,if the valves (1 d be opened, thence through the pipes 61 d, and bedischarged into their respective vessels B B. The continued flow ofwater to these vessels will cause them to gradually 4o fill, the waterin the outer vessel rising until the upper edge of the walls of theinner vessel is reached, when it will flow over such walls and bedischarged into that vessel, and the water in the inner vessel risinguntil the 5 top of the overflow-pipe b is reached, when it will bedischarged through that pipe, and

the further rise in the two vessels will there by be prevented.

In order to permit of the ready withdrawal 5c of the freezing-mixturefrom the inner and outer vessels B B when it may be desired to cleanthem or otherwise, I sometimes find it convenient to employ the pipe h,which, extending through the walls of the refriger- 5 5 ator, isconnected at its inner end to the bottoms of each of said vessels, andis provided with suitable valves 7t, whereby the passage through saidpipe may be opened and closed, as desired.

Beneath the cooling devices thus described I arrange a series of shelvesD for the reception of such articles as may be placed upon them, andwith a view to preventing the mixture contained in the inner and outervessels B B, due to leakage or otherwise or to the condensed moistureoccasioned by the warmer air in the refrigerator coming into contact BB, the valve (1 being opened and the water admit-ted through theinduction-pipe c, the operation of my machine is as follows: The waterwill first enter the tank or cooler O, which it will soon fill, thencepass out into the discharge-pipe c, thence through the pipe (I, andthence be discharged into the vessel B, where it will mix with thenitrate ammonia .or other salts, making a solution therewith and risingin such vessel until it reaches the top of the overflow-pipe. The valve1? is then closed, and after some minutes the valve d is opened and thewater allowed to flow into the outer vessel B, where, as in the vesselB, it meets with the freezing'salts and forms a solution, filling suchvessel until the solution flows over the upper edge of the walls of theinner vessel and into such vessel, and this continues as long as thevalve 61 remains open. As a result of this the solution in the innervessel absorbs the heat from the water contained in the tank or cooler,reducingits temperature and causing it to be discharged into the outervessel in a greatly cooled condition, where, meeting with thefreezing-slats,

its temperature is still further reduced and the desired degree ofrefrigeration is reached. If now it be desired to avail of the refrigeeating effects of this mixture to cool or freeze any article orsubstance, such article or substance is immersed in the mixture, and inorder to provide means for conveniently holding it therein I provide thereceptacles F F, which are preferably made of sheet metal and rest upongrated bottoms f f, their upper ends "being held in place through theinstrumentality of the supports or stays f f, through which they pass.After the freezing-mixture has performed its function of cooling thearticles or substances contained in the receptacles F F it flows overinto the vessel B, where it is still further availed of to cool theincom- 7 ing water in the tank or cooler 0, following which it isdischarged from the inner vessel B, and thus the operation of themachine is made practically continuous. At the same time that thecooling of the water in the tank or cooler C and the articles orsubstances in the receptacles F F are being effected the air in therefrigerator beneath the vessels B B, by coming in contact with theircooled surfaces, is gradually being refrigerated. The cooled air beingheavier than the warmer air below descends and gradually displaces it,causing the latter in turn to come in contact with the vessels and becooled, and thus the temperature of the entire air contained in therefrigerator. is equalized and reduced to a point approximating thetemperature of the mixture in the freezing-vessels.

In the operation of the machine as thus far described the freezing-saltshave been employed in both the inner and outer vessels; but, if desiredas, for instance, when it is the wish to cool'only the water in the tankor cooler for drinking purposesthe salts will only be deposited in theinner vessel and the water will be supplied to that vessel alone, theother vessel remaining empty during the time the machine is so employed.

In using my machine I prefer to employ nitrate of ammonia and water, thebest results being attained when the proportions of those constituentsare about equal; but, if desired, carbonate of soda may be combined withthem and good results attained. Then it is desired to draw oli thesolution contained in the vessels B B, it is only necessary to open thevalve h h, when it will flow through the pipe hand be discharged intoany convenient receptacle. The solution thus discharged, with thatcarried ofi through the overflowpipe 19 may then be evaporated by anysuitable means and the ammonia or other salts recovered and used again.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce a machine which isexceedingly simple in construction, effective in operation, andadmirably suited for many purposes where a comparatively small amount ofice or cooling is required.

lVhile I have shown the best means contemplated by me for carrying myinvention into practice, Iwish it distinctly understood thatI do notlimit myself strictly thereto, as y it is obvious that the same may bemodified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention and one way in which it is or may becarried into effect, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with an outer freezingmixture-holding vessel of anice-makin g machine and a second fr'eezing-mixture-holding vesselarranged within the same and constructed with its walls of less heightthan the walls of the outer vessel, of a receptacle or cooler for waterarranged within the inner vessel, and connections whereby waterdelivered to such receptacle or cooler may be discharged into either oneor both of said vessels, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an outer freezingmixture-holding vessel of anice-making machine and a second freezing-mixture-holding vessel arrangedwithin the same and constructed with heat-nonconducting walls which areof less height than the walls of the outer vessel, of a receptacle orcooler for water, arranged within the inner vessel, and connectionswhereby water delivered to such receptacle or cooler may be dischargedinto either one or both of said vessels, substan tially as described.

3. The combination, with the outer vessel B and inner vessel B, arrangedwithin the former and constructed with the walls thereof of less heightthan the walls of the former vessel, of the tank or cooler C, arrangedwithin the inner vessel and provided with the eduction -pipe 0,extending outwardly through the walls of the refrigerator, the pipes 01cl, connected with the eductionpipe and extending around within theinner and outer vessels, respectively, for conveying the water thereto,and the valves (1 d for regulating the flow of water through suchlastmentioned pipes, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the outer vessel B andinner vessel B, arrangedwithin the same and constructed with the walls thereof of less heightthan the walls of the former vessel, of the tank or cooler C, providedwith the discharge-pipe c, the pipes at d, extending around within theinner and outer vessels, respectively, with their ends closed andprovided with perforations in their under sides, and the valves 01 d forregulating the flow of water through the last-mentioned pipes,respectively, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day ofDecember, 1890.

WVILLIAM I-I. APPLETON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. APPLETON, RoBT. W. WATERBURY.

in Letters Patent fNo.v 458,440;

[SEAL] CYRUS 'B USSEY, Assistant Secretary of the Interim?Countersigned: g I W. E. SIMONDS, Commissioner of Pat t

